This invention relates to a lawn seeder and, more particularly, to a seeder which enhances the disbursement of grass seed and other granular materials onto a lawn.
Various devices have been proposed for the distribution of grass seed or the like onto an earthen surface. These devices include drop and broadcast spreaders which are either hand held or rolled along the lawn. Upon the user walking along the lawn area to be treated, the grass seed, fertilizer or other granular material is disbursed on the lawn.
It is desirable before utilizing such spreaders to aerate or verticut the lawn, i.e. place holes or grooves therein, so that the grass seed is deposited into these grooves. Also, it is desirable to subsequently roll or tamp the lawn subsequent to grass seed disbursement so as to tamp the grass seed into the earth.
Heretofore, separate devices were needed to aerate the lawns, disburse the grass seed and then tamp the lawn, the use of these devices requiring separate passes of the user over the lawn to be treated. Accordingly, the time, trouble and expense of treating the lawn are significantly increased. It is thus desirable to have a lawn maintenance device which can simultaneously perform these functions.
In response thereto we have invented a lawn seeder which utilizes a cylindrical drum having a plurality of spike arrays diagonally positioned thereon. A plurality of aperture arrays are positioned between the spike arrays. The number and size of the apertures are controlled by a user-operable paddle arm assembly mounted within the drum. One wall of the drum presents a door for deposit of the grass seed within the drum. Upon a user pushing on a handle assembly rotatably mounted to the drum, the resulting drum rotation causes the spike arrays to penetrate the lawn and indent the same. Subsequently, the grass seed falls through the apertures onto the lawn. The smooth surface of the drum between the aperture and spike arrays tamps the grass seed into the earthen surface. Accordingly, the steps of lawn aerating, seeding and tamping are easily performed.
It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a lawn seeder.
Another general object of this invention is to provide a lawn seeder which presents a drum for rolling movement along the lawn.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a lawn seeder, as aforesaid, which aerates the lawn during the rolling movement.
A further object of this invention is to provide a lawn seeder, as aforesaid, which deposits the lawn seed onto the ground subsequent to ground aeration.
Another object of this invention is to provide a lawn seeder, as aforesaid, which tamps the disbursed seed into the ground.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a lawn seeder, as aforesaid, which presents a plurality of spike arrays having spikes releasably attached to the drum so as to provide lawn aeration.
Another object of this invention is to provide a lawn seeder, as aforesaid, having a plurality of aperture arrays between the spike arrays for seed disbursal therethrough.
A further object of this invention is to provide a lawn seeder, as aforesaid, having a paddle assembly therein, the position of the paddles regulating the number and/or size of the apertures so as to control the flow rate of the seed onto the ground.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.